Abstract
The National Imaging Facility (NIF) provides Australian researchers with state-of-the-art instrumentation—including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), X-ray computed tomography (CT) and multispectral imaging – and expertise for the characterisation of animals, plants and materials. 
 To maximise research outcomes, as well as to facilitate collaboration and sharing, it is essential not only that the data acquired using these instruments be managed, curated and archived in a trusted data repository service, but also that the data itself be of verifiable quality. In 2017, several NIF nodes collaborated on a national project to define the requirements and best practices necessary to achieve this, and to establish exemplar services for both preclinical MRI data and clinical ataxia MRI data.
 In this paper we describe the project, its key outcomes, challenges and lessons learned, and future developments, including extension to other characterisation facilities and instruments/modalities.
Highlights
Characterisation facilities provide researchers with access to instrumentation and expertise, to probe and measure the structures and properties of matter at the micro, nano and atomic scales
Characterisation is essential across natural, agricultural, physical, life and biomedical sciences and engineering, and encompasses a diverse range of techniques including optical, electron, Xray and ion-beam techniques, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), mass spectrometry, ultrasound and cytometry
Two types of trust need to be distinguished: Trust in the data repository services and trust in the quality of the data contained therein. In the former case, given that National Imaging Facility (NIF) comprises a number of nodes across Australia, this required the development of federated trusted data repository (TDR) services
Summary
Characterisation facilities provide researchers with access to instrumentation and expertise, to probe and measure the structures and properties of matter at the micro, nano and atomic scales. During 2017, NIF nodes across four states collaborated on a national project to defne the requirements and best practices necessary for a federated network of trusted data repositories for NIF and to establish exemplar services for both preclinical MRI data and clinical ataxia MRI data (Mehnert, 2018). In the former case, given that NIF comprises a number of nodes across Australia, this required the development of federated TDR services.
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